Search Results (411)

This article investigates Black American Islam as a semiotically mediated New Religious Movement (NRM), hybrid in nature and emerging from conditions of racialized governance, state surveillance, and social marginalization. Focused on the intersection of NRMs and political environments, the work engages in the reconstruction of a historical and conceptual lineage between Black Muslim movements and their mediated negotiation by Hip Hop artists. Grounded in Hall’s model of encoding/decoding and Hebdige’s subcultural theory, the transition of Islam-inspired semiotic markers from esoteric subcultural opacity to explicit orthodox adherence is demonstrated using historical analysis and close reading of symbolic expression in lyrics. The findings support a consideration of religious illegibility as aesthetic negotiation and strategy for political survival in circumstances of state scrutiny, with the subsequent consolidation of orthodox interpretations in Hip Hop signifying a recalibration of religious legibility in the securitized climate of a post-9/11 world. The contribution asserts that Black American Islam exemplifies NRMs’ instrumentalization of doctrinal elasticity and semiotic mediation in challenging socio-political surroundings, and its impact on negotiations of citizenship, political opposition, and religious identity. Full article

This study examines the kalif structure, a unique and increasingly invisible component of the rural architecture in the Eastern Black Sea region that is currently under threat of extinction, along with the tradition of kalif-guarding integrated with this structure. Historically constructed to protect agricultural production from wildlife, kalifs are not merely functional shelters but also multi-layered memory objects where collective solidarity and social interaction are reproduced. A qualitative research method was adopted for the study, utilizing literature review, on-site physical documentation, and technical analysis centered on Yücehisar village in the Pazar district of Rize. Within the scope of the research, the material use and construction techniques of kalifs are detailed from an architectural perspective, and these practices are evaluated through the lens of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The findings indicate that the loss of the physical presence of kalifs due to the transition from corn to tea cultivation and rural migration signifies the dissolution of a production-based culture of living. Consequently, the study reveals the critical importance of incorporating the kalif and the act of kalif-guarding into academic literature and cultural memory within the framework of Intangible Cultural Heritage standards to preserve local identity and rural memory. Full article

Large language models (LLMs) are being adopted rapidly in financial institutions for applications including customer communication, compliance review, fraud detection, and agentic workflows, but without bias evaluation, they risk reinforcing systemic biases that may lead to unethical or unlawful decisions. To address potential systemic bias in LLMs in regulated settings like financial services, we present a statistical analysis framework and structured, reproducible methodology for evaluating whether LLM outputs vary significantly across demographic groups. Using financial fraud stories from the CNN/DailyMail dataset, we employ substitution-based identity variations across protected demographic classes, generate summaries via three proprietary language models, and perform statistical analysis on common metrics (ROUGE, BERTScore, Adverse Impact Ratio (AIR), and Standardized Mean Difference (SMD)). Statistical approaches such as MANOVA and ANOVA reveal small but significant differences in output metric values (e.g., for White female, Black male, and Asian male identities in our analysis), while sentiment analysis and human evaluation confirm disparities in tone and framing. Our results also indicate that measured disparities appear to decrease across subsequent model generations. Full article

This article analyzes how twentieth- and twenty-first-century Afro-Colombian women poets from the Pacific region challenge and reframe the feminization of the land and the naturalization of the Black female body within colonial and Eurocentric epistemologies. Drawing on a framework that conceptualizes body, territory, spirituality, and community as an interdependent continuum, the article conducts close textual analysis to demonstrate how these poets construct territory and the Black female body as sentient sites. These sites are simultaneously shaped by historical violence, forced displacement, extractive economies, and racialized gender constructs, while preserving ancestral knowledge and collective memory. The findings show that Valencia Córdoba develops the body–territory through metaphor and anaphora as a generative space; Grueso Romero deploys orality and the sea as transatlantic archives of ancestry and identity; and Truque articulates urban displacement as an ontological rupture that affects memory and Black subjectivity. Ultimately, the article advances the concept of body–territory as a decolonial aesthetic and analytical tool through which Afro-Colombian women’s poetry articulates environmental justice, gendered racialization, and forms of resistance within the Afrodiasporic diaspora. Full article

A 65-year-old man with type 2 diabetes presented with abdominal pain. Although he had no typical reflux symptoms such as heartburn or acid regurgitation, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed findings suggestive of reflux esophagitis, and proton pump inhibitor therapy was initiated. Two months later, he was admitted with intractable vomiting. EGD demonstrated diffuse circumferential mucosal injury without black discoloration, predominantly in the distal esophagus. These findings were interpreted as severe reflux esophagitis (Los Angeles grade D; RE-D). Symptoms improved with supportive care, glycemic control, and continued PPI therapy; follow-up EGD showed marked improvement. Six months later, he re-presented with identical symptoms and endoscopic findings. Laboratory testing confirmed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), with ketonuria, elevated total ketone bodies (2469 µmol/L), and high-anion gap metabolic acidosis (anion gap 17.2 mEq/L). The diagnosis was revised to DKA-associated acute esophageal mucosal lesion (AEML). He improved with fluid resuscitation and insulin therapy, and medication adherence was reinforced. Follow-up EGD showed complete healing without recurrence. AEML has been proposed as a spectrum that includes acute esophageal necrosis (AEN; “black esophagus”) and esophagitis without black-appearing mucosa. This case highlights a diagnostic pitfall in which DKA-associated AEML without black discoloration may be misattributed to severe reflux esophagitis. When the clinical presentation or endoscopic appearance is severe or atypical, clinicians should consider AEML and evaluate for underlying systemic precipitants. Full article

Background/Objective: Our current knowledge regarding ethnic/racial differences in the incidence of and risk factors for eating disorder onset is relatively limited. We examined whether the baseline prevalence and incidence of onset of any eating disorder over follow-up and the risk factors that predict future onset of any eating disorder differ for various ethnic/racial groups. Methods: Data were collected from females across a wide age range (N = 1952; White = 61%, Hispanic = 17%, Asian = 14%, Black = 5%, and Native American = 3%; M baseline age = 19.7, SD = 5.7; baseline age range: 13–64) who completed self-report questionnaires and a diagnostic interview at baseline and then annually over 3 years. We ran two chi-square tests that examined how ethnicity/race were related to eating disorders at baseline and future onset as well as a series of logistic regression models that tested whether baseline risk factors and prodromal symptoms were differentially related to future eating disorder onset across ethnic/racial groups. Results: The diagnostic prevalences as well as the predictive relationship of a risk factor and a prodromal symptom with eating disorder onset were very similar across ethnic/racial groups, with only one instance where the magnitude of the predictive effects differed across two ethnic/racial groups; lower zBMI was predictive among White women, whereas higher zBMI was predictive among Black women. Conclusions: Overall, risk factors and prodromal symptoms are similar across the examined ethnic/racial groups, suggesting that we can implement the same prevention programs for women with the same risk factors, regardless of their ethnic/racial identities. Full article

Intermetallic compounds represent a highly promising class of materials for catalytic applications due to their tuneable structure, composition, and electronic properties. In this study, we report a series of carbon black-supported intermetallic Pt-Te and Pt-Zn nanoparticles synthesized via a novel and facile direct vapour–solid approach. Their catalytic performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media was systematically investigated. Incorporation of Te or Zn into Pt/C significantly enhanced the intrinsic activity, as reflected by an increase in the limiting current density from −2.11 mA cm⁻² for Pt/C to up to −2.94 mA cm⁻² for Pt-Zn and −2.85 mA cm⁻² for Pt-Te systems, while maintaining similar half-wave potentials of 0.79 V vs. RHE and onset potentials around 0.90 V vs. RHE. This work provides a direct comparison of two intermetallic systems prepared under identical conditions, demonstrating how composition and crystal structure determine the catalytic activity and selectivity in the ORR. Full article

Avian haemosporidian parasites, especially Plasmodium juxtanucleare, Leucocytozoon caulleryi, and Leucocytozoon sabrazesi, represent major threats to poultry health and production. However, there is limited epidemiological information about these pathogens in domestic chickens in Southern China, which hinders effective disease prevention and control. The objective of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional survey to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of these three parasites in Guangxi and Hunan Provinces between June 2024 and December 2025. A total of 941 blood samples were collected from domestic chickens and analyzed using both nested PCR targeting the cytb gene and species-specific PCR assays targeting the coxI gene. The overall detection rate of haemosporidian infection was 25.40% (239/941). P. juxtanucleare was the most commonly detected species, with a detection rate of 23.59% (222/941), followed by L. caulleryi at 1.81% (17/941), while no L. sabrazesi infections were identified. Analysis of risk factors showed that chickens older than 90 days had significantly higher detection rates for both P. juxtanucleare and L. caulleryi compared to younger birds. Additionally, breed-specific differences were noted, with black-bone and partridge chickens showing higher susceptibility to P. juxtanucleare than three-yellow chickens. Genetic analysis of coxI sequences demonstrated high conservation among P. juxtanucleare isolates (99.7–100% similarity) and complete identity among L. caulleryi strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that all sequences clustered with the corresponding reference strains from GenBank. This study presents an epidemiological evaluation of these three haemosporidian parasites in domestic chickens from Guangxi and Hunan Provinces, identifying P. juxtanucleare as a widespread pathogen and highlighting age and breed as important risk factors. These results emphasize the importance of ongoing monitoring and targeted control measures in the area. Full article

Artificial intelligence applications in mental health diagnosis face persistent challenges related to interpretability, trust, and the integrity of results. This study presents a trust-aware explainable deep learning framework that combines systematic benchmarking, SHAP-based interpretability, and permissioned blockchain verification to achieve secure mental health classification. The Depression & Mental Health Classification Dataset was used, which contains 1999 records, 21 features, and 12 classes. Data preprocessing included categorical encoding and Z-score normalization for continuous variables. To ensure robust evaluation, a stratified train–test split was applied, and class imbalance was addressed using the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE). Eight machine learning and deep learning models were assessed under identical preprocessing and validation settings. In addition, two models were proposed: Feature Attention XGBoost (FA-XGBoost) and Feature Attention Feedforward Neural Network (FA-FNN). The FA-FNN model achieved the best performance, attaining an accuracy of 96.00%, precision of 98.31%, recall of 97.31%, and F1-score of 98.04%. To address deep learning’s black-box limitation, SHapley Additive ExPlanations (SHAPs) were used to provide both global feature importance and instance-level explanations, enabling transparent identification of the most influential mental health markers. Beyond interpretability, a permissioned blockchain layer was added to provide tamper-proof logging and traceable verification of AI results. The framework securely stores cryptographic hashes of model versions, prediction results, and generated SHAP artifacts, including visualization images, without exposing sensitive medical data. By integrating explainable decision-making, high-performance classification, and blockchain-based trust enforcement, the proposed framework creates a transparent and secure pipeline suitable for real-world mental healthcare systems. Controlled experiments on a permissioned Ethereum-InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) network demonstrated predictable latency, stable throughput (≈28–30 transactions/s), and lower operational costs, proving the framework’s suitability for enterprise and healthcare deployments. Full article

The accumulation of petroleum-based plastics demands sustainable alternatives such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biodegradable polyesters synthesised by numerous prokaryotes. However, high feedstock costs limit their commercialisation. This study evaluated cocoa mucilage, an underutilised by-product of the Ecuadorian cacao sector, as a low-cost carbon source for PHA production by a wild-type strain isolated from cocoa fruit residues. Bacteria were recovered from cocoa mucilage and pod shell fractions and screened for PHA accumulation by Sudan Black B staining with UV–Vis spectrophotometric confirmation. A single PHA-positive isolate, designated Priestia aryabhattai strain NBP01-UTN (GenBank accession OR567321.1; 99.88% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to the type strain B8W22T), was recovered from the cocoa shell surface—representing, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of a PHA-producing P. aryabhattai from cacao fruit residues. Fermentation conditions were optimised using the response surface methodology with a central composite design evaluating temperature, pH, and ammonium sulphate concentration. The fitted quadratic model was highly significant (R² = 0.978, p < 0.0001), indicating that temperature and nitrogen limitation were the dominant factors. Optimal conditions (40 °C, pH 7.30, 0 g·L⁻¹ (NH₄)₂SO₄) yielded 0.496 g·L⁻¹ PHA at 24 h (productivity ≈ 20.7 mg·L⁻¹·h⁻¹). Notably, no external nitrogen supplementation was required, as the endogenous nitrogen in cocoa mucilage sufficed to sustain growth whilst triggering the nutrient imbalance needed for PHA biosynthesis. FTIR and DSC analyses provided spectroscopic and thermal evidence consistent with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), although definitive monomer-level confirmation requires GC–MS or NMR spectroscopy. These results demonstrate the feasibility of coupling a locally isolated wild-type strain with cocoa mucilage to produce bioplastic within a circular bioeconomy framework. Full article

Madagascar’s Central Highlands have experienced extensive deforestation and soil degradation, limiting the success of reforestation efforts. Poor soil fertility, particularly nitrogen limitation, constrains early seedling growth in degraded landscapes. This study evaluated the field performance of composted Black Soldier Fly frass (CBSFF) as a soil amendment for the native pioneer tree Dodonaea madagascariensis within the Ambohitantely Special Reserve. Four treatments were compared across four sites using a randomized complete block design: unfertilized control, cattle manure (4 g N), CBSFF one-fold (4 g N), and CBSFF two-fold (8 g N). The experiment was conducted on seedlings aged 16 months at the start of the study, and their growth was monitored over a six-month period. Growth responses were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models with site included as a random factor. Seedling survival remained near 100% across all treatments, indicating no phytotoxic effects of composted frass under field conditions. Fertilization significantly enhanced both basal stem diameter and height growth. When standardized by nitrogen input, cattle manure and CBSFF produced comparable growth responses, indicating that nitrogen availability, rather than fertilizer identity, primarily drove early seedling performance. Height growth exhibited a clear dose-dependent response, with the double-dose CBSFF treatment producing the greatest increase. Planting method had a modest effect on height but did not alter the relative performance of fertilizer treatments. These findings demonstrate that composted BSF frass functions as an effective nitrogen source for early tree establishment in degraded tropical soils and performs comparably to traditional manure under field conditions. By validating insect-derived fertilizer within a restoration context, this study supports the integration of circular nutrient systems into sustainable reforestation strategies in biodiversity-rich yet resource-limited landscapes. Full article

The control of Twin-Rotor Multi-Input Multi-Output (TRMS) systems presents a significant challenge due to high nonlinearity, strong aerodynamic cross-coupling, and the inevitable discrepancies between theoretical models and physical plants. This paper first exposes the instability of conventional Backstepping control under real hardware conditions, where unmodeled dynamics and parametric uncertainties drive the yaw subsystem into divergent oscillation, then proposes and experimentally validates two advanced architectures to overcome this limitation. The first is an online adaptive Backstepping gain-tuning scheme based on a novel Rate-Constrained Sequential Quantum Black Hole Optimization (RS-QBHO) algorithm. The second is a Hybrid Backstepping–Sliding Mode Control (BSMC) architecture that integrates structural disturbance rejection directly into the recursive design. Both schemes are formally verified via Lyapunov stability analysis and validated on a physical TRMS rig under identical hardware-in-the-loop conditions. Experimental results confirm that while the standard Backstepping controller failed in the yaw axis with an RMSE of 2.5624 rad, both proposed methods achieved stabilization. The QBHO-tuned controller yielded RMSE values of 0.0799 rad for pitch and 0.2305 rad for yaw, while the BSMC strategy proved superior, achieving 0.0682 rad and 0.1858 rad, respectively. These findings demonstrate that while meta-heuristic optimization effectively compensates for parametric mismatches, the passive disturbance rejection of the sliding mode term offers a more effective solution for mitigating unmodeled aerodynamic dynamics in MIMO flight platforms. Full article

The objectives of this paper were to assess the genetic diversity, population structure, genetic differentiation, and phylogenetic relationships among seven duck populations using 14 microsatellite (MS) markers. This paper included 176 individuals representing seven duck populations of Bangladesh: indigenous duck (BLD), Nageswari (NAG), Rupali (RUP), Jinding (JIN), Pekin (PEK), BAU Black and White (BWC), and BAU White (WHC). A total of 133 alleles were observed with a mean of 9.50 alleles per locus. Genetic diversity was evaluated using measures such as allele frequency, observed and expected heterozygosity, and Shannon’s information index with average values of 5.44 ± 0.31, 0.59 ± 0.02, 0.64 ± 0.02, and 1.28 ± 0.05, respectively. Population differentiation and inbreeding analysis (F-statistics) indicated moderate genetic diversity and a slight degree of inbreeding across populations. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that 75% of the total genetic diversity was attributable to the within-population variation, whereas 9% and 16% were attributed to the variation among individuals and population differentiation, respectively. Indigenous duck populations (BLD, NAG, and RUP) had a close genetic relationship with JIN ducks and an intermediate relationship with two crossbreds (BWC and WHC), and the highest genetic distance was observed with PEK ducks. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Bangladeshi indigenous duck populations formed a single cluster, while the two crossbreds (BWC and WHC) and PEK exhibited their distinct genetic identities in separate clusters. Furthermore, structure analysis at K = 2 to 5 confirmed the distinct genetic architecture (ΔK = 4.00) of the studied duck populations. This paper provides important insights into genetic diversity measures and population differentiation that will be helpful in future genetic improvement, conservation initiatives, and the design of appropriate breeding programs. Full article

This article examines the assumed dichotomy between the Black church and the juke joint within African American cultural discourse. Often portrayed as moral opposites—one sacred and the other secular—this study argues that such a binary reflects a Eurocentric interpretive framework rather than the actual historical realities of Black communal life. Through cultural and historical analysis, the article asserts that both institutions originated from similar conditions of racial exclusion and served as complementary spaces that nurtured African American identity, resilience, and community connections. Using the film Sinners as a key cultural text, the study explores how contemporary media narratives complicate rigid distinctions between sacred and secular Black spaces, identities, music, and spirituality. The character Sammie illustrates the permeability between these spaces, embodying a cultural logic where spiritual refuge and expressive release coexist. The analysis places this view within the African philosophical concept of Ubuntu, which emphasizes relational identity and the inseparability and oneness of the Black community. Drawing on the scholarship of James H. Cone, the article also shows that spirituals and blues share roots in African diasporic musical traditions. These traditions demonstrate the deep interconnection between religious and secular forms of Black expression. Ultimately, the study concludes that the Black church and the juke joint should be understood not as opposing institutions but as interconnected cultural spaces that collectively sustain African American spiritual, social, and artistic life. Full article

Soil physicochemical and biochemical properties are fundamental to soil processes and ecosystem functioning in forest environments, yet their responses to dominant tree species in humid montane regions remain largely ununderstood. This study examined the effects of three widespread broadleaf species—Quercus pontica, Quercus petraea, and Fagus orientalis—on soil physical, chemical, and biochemical properties in natural forests in the Eastern Black Sea region, where these species play key ecological roles in structuring forest composition and biogeochemical processes. A total of 15 soil samples (5 per forest type) were collected under comparable climatic and geological conditions and analyzed for particle-size distribution, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, and key microbial activity indicators. Significant differences in soil properties were detected among forest types. Soils under Q. pontica were characterized by the lowest silt content and pH, but the highest sand content, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon (C_mic), and microbial respiration. In contrast, soils under Q. petraea exhibited the highest clay content and pH, whereas F. orientalis soils showed lower sand content, EC, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen (N_mic), and basal respiration. Multivariate analyses revealed that soil texture, pH, and C_mic are key factors driving soil differentiation across forest types. These patterns indicate that species-specific litter inputs and belowground processes regulate soil biochemical functioning by altering resource availability and habitat conditions. Crucially, this study sheds light on the soil-forming responses of these ecologically dominant species and their impacts on carbon cycle pathways and microbial dynamics at the regional scale. Overall, the study shows that tree species identity is a critical factor influencing soil function, with significant consequences for forest management, carbon sequestration strategies, and ecosystem resilience to changing environmental conditions. Full article